Boxes
by Asuya
Summary: X wishes Zero wouldn't spend their last day together brooding, but that's just how life is sometimes. Mild shounen-ai, plus fluff n' stuff.


Zero had never hated boxes so passionately before. The few boxes that were scattered around the room had an almost threatening feel to them. If they had been empty, perhaps Zero wouldn't have minded them so much, but they weren't empty. On the contrary, they were almost bursting with the various items that used to make up the room.

Frowning, Zero glared at the boxes with all his might. How he hated boxes at that moment.

Beside him, X dumped the remainder of his belongings into an empty box. When they were safely packed away, he turned to his friend and put his hands on either side of his hips, sighing. "Zero, you _promised_ to help me pack, remember?" he asked impatiently.

Zero grunted absent-mindedly in reply. "I did help," he muttered angrily, continuing to glare at the boxes.

X's eyes followed in the direction Zero was glaring in, but to his confusion could only see boxes and nothing more. Why was Zero being so hostile? Sighing once again, this time a little more sadly than before, he gingerly placed himself on the bed beside Zero. "It's our last day together," he murmured quietly after a moment of silence, almost to himself. "Couldn't you be a bit more cheerful...?"

The Reploid beside him remained silent.

Drawing in a deep breath, X continued, "I know this move is very sudden, but it wasn't exactly my fault... I tried to get out of it, but Signas wouldn't let me..."

More silence. Glancing out of the corner of his eye X looked at Zero, who continued to stare moodily ahead at the boxes with a deep frown. He made no signs of even hearing X.

A heavy, sinking feeling crept through X. In desperation he tried once more: "It won't be very far, you know. You could always come visit me, or I could come visit you. I'll be sure to email you often, every day if you want..." X's words died away quietly; still Zero refused to respond in any way.

"Well... I guess... I'll go now for a bit..." X's mouth felt painfully dry, and he swallowed forcefully. "I should go say goodbye to Alia while I have the chance..." And just like that, he was about to part from his best friend without a proper farewell. Tears began to leak out the corners of X's eyes. Brushing his face with pretend casualness, X quickly stood up and was about to leave quickly when a warm, firm hand grabbed onto his wrist. Instinctively X turned.

Zero had finally responded.

The Reploid's blue eyes were filled with a sort of desperation. He spoke quietly, softly, but it was still enough to make X's core twinge.

"Don't go, X."

"I don't want to," X whispered back. Without thinking he immediately crawled back onto the bed and up against Zero. As he rested his head comfortably against Zero's chest, he felt Zero's hand stroking his hair gently. "I don't want to leave you, Zero."

"This is our last day together, X," Zero continued, as though he hadn't heard X's words. "I won't allow you to leave me so quickly."

X smiled softly to himself. "I won't," he breathed. Zero grunted approvingly, still staring ahead at the boxes but no longer glaring. "I tried to stay, you know."

After a moment of silence, Zero replied quietly, "I know. It's not your fault you have to move, X."

"And it's only a temporary position," X continued eagerly. "We won't be separated for that long."

"No, we won't." With that, Zero wrapped his arms tightly around X, pulling the smaller Reploid closer towards him; X threw his arms around Zero's middle in response, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. The two remained in their embrace silently, though the silence was no longer strained. Closing his eyes, X snuggled against Zero, listening contently to the sound of Zero's core beating quietly in sync with his own.

After what seemed like both mere seconds and an eternity, Zero finally broke the warm silence that had settled over them. "You'd better email me too, X. Actually, no, call me. Yeah, I think I'd like that more. You'd better call me every day, X."

X giggled. "Every day," he promised. Zero nodded with satisfaction, but X continued, "Knowing you, if you didn't hear from me every day, you'd think of some ridiculous worst-case scenario and then come crashing into my place just to make sure I was okay."

Zero snorted. Laughing, X reached up and kissed Zero lightly on the cheek. As X drew back, Zero tugged X closer towards him and planted a deep kiss on his lips. Bright emerald eyes widened in shock; X had been caught completely off guard, and the faint blush on his face suddenly deepened.

Neither Reploid were sure just how long the kiss had lasted (and neither of them cared to check either), but finally Zero broke off, grinning cheekily at X. The smaller Reploid _knew_ that he was blushing furiously, and that Zero was silently laughing at him for it. Summoning as much indignation as he could muster, X huffed, "You jerk! Just for that, you'd better come visit me every chance you get!"

Zero only laughed in response and, still grinning from ear to ear, pulled X down on top of him.


End file.
